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Sunno s880 3 kinds, Opinions please!

Hi, Im very interested in one of these sunno phones, there are 3 models, 1 of them is a cheap copy that I wont buy. The other ones are originals from sunno factory, witch one would you choose? please let me know why
There are 3 kind of s880, (please tell us about them if you have any of them)
The great one:
CPU: Marvell PXA310(1GHZ)
Look at the back camera(thats the diference)
Main 5mpx cam,
No android os
Just wm6.5
Where to buy?: www china-mobile-phone com
PICS:
N/A I have links restriction
The second most powerfull:
CPU: Unknown 806MHZ processor 256RAM
Diferent back camera, 8mpx
DUAL BOOT OS Android and WM6.5
Where to buy?: Anywhere, the most common one
PICS: N/A I have links restriction
The third, "the cheap one":
CPU: Hisilicon K3 460Mhz
8Mpx camera
WM6.5 and Android
Where to buy?: This one seems to be a cheap copy, so be aware. If you find that back camera in a s880, thats a cheap copy.
PICS: N/A I have links restriction
I will add photos to this post when my links restriction is gone
Please, give me your opinion about witch one should I buy, and why
thanks!

Hi Mhz250,
I've been delivered the model you describe as "The Great One", i.e. with 1GHz processor (at least, that's what it reports) and NOT dual boot.
I can't tell you which one to buy as I'm not familiar with the others, but below are some of my impressions. As a disclaimer, the model I'd ordered was meant to be the dual boot one, so I'm a bit disgruntled, and also this is my first smart phone, so I don't have anything to compare it to with regards performance. However I do have an Ipod touch so I'm familiar with capacitive screens.
Build Quality:
The body feels reasonably solid. There's a bit of a plastic squeek when you squeeze if from the sides but otherwise there's a nice weight to it. The battery cover is metal and again feels solid.
The buttons below the screen and the two volume buttons on the side feel robust, but the cover for the memory card slot is a loose friction fit, and the small power button feels like it might eventually fall out.
Screen quality:
Brightness:
It doesn't seem as bright as my Ipod touch, even with the lightness up full. I've not tried to use it outdoors on a sunny day (I'm avoiding using it until I've my support query on sorting the dual-os settled) but for indoor use it has been fine.
Touch:
I'm using a screen protector that I ordered with the phone, which might have an effect on the responsiveness. It is a resistive screen rather than capacitive: sometimes a light touch is sufficient to get a response, other times you've got to press firmly. I'd characterise the difference like this:
- with a capacitive screen you can lightly "swoosh" with the pad of a finger to scroll
- with the S880, I find I either have to drag with the pad of my finger to scroll, or else use the tip of my finger/nail.
- in general, I find I've to re-enter my taps etc to get a response some of the time, other times it works fine.
- also bear in mind that you will not have multi-touch (pinch-to-zoom), which makes browsing less convenient.
OS:
In my opinion Windows mobile 6.5 is not very nice to use without a stylus: the settings menus and the keyboard are rather small and, although not impossible to use with the tip of your finger, it's still quite easy to select the wrong item. Note that the S880 doesn't come with one of those built-in stylus slots (or even a stylus). Installing FingerKeyboard helps with the keyboard issue, but doesn't help with the small menus.
The lack of an "alt-tab" built in to the OS to switch between running apps is a pain. Perhaps due to my unfamiliarity with the OS, I keep finding myself back at the home screen and have to re-navigate to the application (sometimes via task manager).
I downloaded a trial of SPB Mobile shell and that helps to make the screen feel more responsive. That's all very well while you're in the SPB shell (navigation) but when you finally arrive at the app, you're back in the Win6.5 world . It also adds an extra $30 to the factor into the cost, but if I cannot get the dual-os issue resolved, I'd personally go for this (and, before anyone asks, no, I'm not affiliated with SPB)
So, although this shouldn't be a review of the OS, in terms of selecting which S880 model to go for, all else being equal I'd lean towards the dual boot in order to be able to use Android. (I'm sure there are threads arguing over which OS is better, I don't mean to kick of any such debate here).
Conclusions
This is an admittedly selective review: for me, the two dominant factors are the resistive screen and the Windows interface, neither of which I particularly like, and I don't think they compliment each other.
I hope this helps!

Hi itburns!
thanks very much for such a great personal opinion! Could you test the camera for me? I really would like to know if it can take pictures at night, what's the pictures quality, real MPX of the camera.
Could you also please tell us your opinion about the speed of the phone? try to use a couple of apps at the same time and see what happends. Or a 3d game if you can!
Thanks again

Thanks for a good review! Its always nice to get personal feedback on Chinese cloned phones!

>Could you test the camera for me? I really would like to know if it can take pictures at night, what's the pictures quality, real MPX of the camera.
The camera has a popup controls dialog with the following settings
- Resolution: L, 1M, 2M, 3M
- White Balance: Auto, night, daylight, {some bizarre symbol that might mean fluorescent light}, incandescent light (a traditional lightbulb)
- EV: +/- 2 stops
- Location for storage;
- Wide-screen review
- Auto-timer
There's also a quick route to view stored pictures and a menu: the menu has
- Special Effect ( a bunch like b&w, sepia, etc)
- Snap sound
- Flash
- Iamge[sic] Quality : High Low Normal
- About: Camera V1.0
I took just a couple of shots outside at twilight and at night. Twilight ones appeared on the screen pretty close to what I was seeing. Not entirely sure what you were looking for with the night shots: they look dark, naturally! I've not viewed them on a pc yet (so no opinion on the quality) but on the phone's screen you can make out street lights etc. in the night shots
Stored as: Jpeg
Sizes: 2048 x 1246, 1600x960, 1280x768,
> Could you also please tell us your opinion about the speed of the phone?
> try to use a couple of apps at the same time and see what happends.
> Or a 3d game if you can!
If I'm not mistaken, apps don't run seem to concurrently in Windows Mobile: i.e. although in RAM, they remain in a sleep mode until you switch to them. This seems to be backed up by the view in task manager: CPU usage remains 0% for "running" apps. So running other apps shouldn't really affect performance other than by hogging RAM.
I've no 3D games (and anyway, as this is my first smart phone, I'd have nothing to compare with). As an aside, the phone has Teeter installed (one of those marble-around-a-maze) which, although it doesn't show off the graphics or processing, it does show off the gravity sensor and it works really well.
I did a quick scan of xda-developers for benchmarking and came across SPB Benchmark (again, I'm not affiliated with SPB!). I'll give that a run and let you know. I don't know if there are other benchmark tests worth looking at?

Hello,
You can look at the technical characteristics of Sunno S880. This smartphone model uses Marvell PXA 310 806 MHz processor but the actual CPU frequency is 624 MHz. The CPU is fast and works well with almost all applications. It can run on Windows Mobile and Android, but for now there is not a complete ROM for Android. The camera is type CMOS sensor, 1944x2592 pixels, 5MP and its quality is not different from the other Sunno Smartphone models. It depends on the environmental light, however, there are different built-in filters that improve the image quality.

Hi infobg,
thanks for that link: the model I has some differences to the one listed:
-cosmetically, the back plate looks distinctly different, while there's a slight difference on the front.
- the device information (as reported by the device itself) states
CPU Model: Marvell PXA310
CPU Speed: 1GHz
So either this is a slightly different model to the one at the link, or the information can be/is faked in WinMob Settings/Device Info.
Could you explain a bit more "for now there is not a complete ROM for Android" - I have a complaint in with my seller because the phone doesn't support Android. Is a ROM due soon, and how could I get it?
Many thanks

Hi Itburns,
the information on the website is actual. We have added a link to the Marvell PXA310 CPU specifications. It runs well up to 624 MHz, so bear in mind that Windows may not show the right information because the equipment information is recorded by the software developer. This CPU generally supports the Android core, but there isn't yet a stable version for it.

It seems we need a benchmark of your phone itburns.
infobg, I've been researching a LOT in the web and there are actually 3 models of this phone. One of them seem to be a fake, another seem to be a old model and the other is the actual model(the one with 806Mhz CPU running at 624mhz)
It seems that the first model was the one with 1Ghz processor.
Itburns, hope we can see your benchmark test soon!
Im looking to buy your s880 model

Sunno S880 Benchmark
Description
The SPB Benchmark software runs a series of separate tests under the following headings:
- Main
- Sorage Cards
- Battery
- Active Sync
Setup:
I skipped the battery test: it involves things like brining it to full power, then allowing it to run out of power, then repeating under different conditions; hadn’t got the patience.
General: - After initiating the test, I didn’t interact with the phone until the tests had run to completion.
- Connections all off: phone, Bluetooth, wifi
- Screen “lightness” set half-way and timeout for dimming set to 15 seconds.
Specific test setup- Main, File – performed with the phone powered by the mains (but with the battery also at 100% power.)
- Active Sync – performed with the phone connected to a HP laptop.
Results:
The Spb Benchmark “visualise results” didn’t work when the combined tests {Main, Storage Card, Active Sync} were in the results file, so I split out the storage card results and uploaded {Main, Active Sync}: it is possible that this could affect some of the cumulative results? Anyway I’ve copied the relevant part of the xml file below for the storage card test.
The comparand (iPaq 3650) has a 206 MHz Intel StrongARM SA-1110 32-bit RISC Processor (source ipaqrepair.co.uk)
- The “Pocket Word” and “Internet Explorer” tests did do something, I could see stuff pop up on the screen (which came alive during the test), so it is possible that the test just failed to grab the results. IT IS POSSIBLE (PROBABLE?) that the cumulative Spb Benchmark index is incomplete or unreliable, given the few failures?
- Note: for some values it would look like a low value is good (File system index?), but the hyperlinks on the spb site to explain the benchmarks seem to be broken, so I cannot be sure.
Spb Benchmark Indices
Spb Benchmark index: 463.21 (iPAQ 3650 scored 1000)
CPU index: 2657.1 (iPAQ 3650 scored 1000)
File system index: 183.66 (iPAQ 3650 scored 1000)
Graphics index: 2018.77 (iPAQ 3650 scored 1000)
ActiveSync index: 13219.63 (iPAQ 3650 scored 1000)
Platform index: insufficient number of tests were done. (iPAQ 3650 scored 1000)
Main test results:
Test Time Speed % of iPAQ 3650* speed
Write 1 MB file :527 ms 1945 KB/sec 245%
Read 1 MB file : 121 ms 8.27 MB/sec 45%
Copy 1 MB file : 563 ms 1819 KB/sec 230%
Write 10 KB x 100 files : 3182 ms 322 KB/sec 57%
Read 10 KB x 100 files : 422 ms 2.37 MB/sec 37%
Copy 10 KB x 100 files : 3425 ms 299 KB/sec 63%
Directory list of 2000 files : 1280 ms 1.56 thousands of files/sec 1%
Internal database read : 510 ms 1962 records/sec 466%
Graphics test: DDB BitBlt : 16.5 ms 60.6 frames/sec 225%
Graphics test: DIB BitBlt : 85.7 ms 11.7 frames/sec 86%
Graphics test: GAPI BitBlt : 1 ms 1000 frames/sec 464%
Pocket Word document open : error
Pocket Internet Explorer HTML load : error
Pocket Internet Explorer JPEG load : error
File Explorer large folder list : 3346 ms 598 files/sec 116%
Compress 1 MB file using ZIP : 3106 ms 326 KB/sec 308%
Decompress 1024x768 JPEG file : 292 ms 961 KB/sec 301%
Arkaball frames per second : 2.86 ms 350 frames/sec 323%
CPU test: Whetstones MFLOPS : 2995 ms 0.124 Mop/sec 269%
CPU test: Whetstones MOPS : 722 ms 87.3 Mop/sec 256%
CPU test: Whetstones MWIPS : 6238 ms 8.02 Mop/sec 269%
Memory test: copy 1 MB using memcpy : 7.01 ms 143 MB/sec 203%
ActiveSync: upload 1 MB file : 870 ms 1177 KB/sec 1022%
ActiveSync: download 1 MB file : 375 ms 2730 KB/sec 2906% ​<storagecard-tests>
<storagecard-test card-name="Storage Card">
<sc-largefilewrite>1224.800000</sc-largefilewrite>
<sc-largefileread>372.700000</sc-largefileread>
<sc-largefilecopyto>592.300000</sc-largefilecopyto>
<sc-largefilecopyfrom>634.800000</sc-largefilecopyfrom>
<sc-manyfileswrite>5391.400000</sc-manyfileswrite>
<sc-manyfilesread>606.800000</sc-manyfilesread>
<sc-manyfilescopyto>4347.700000</sc-manyfilescopyto>
<sc-manyfilescopyfrom>2888.800000</sc-manyfilescopyfrom>
<sc-dirlisting>212.700000</sc-dirlisting>
</storagecard-test>
<storagecard-test card-name="built in storage">
<sc-largefilewrite>524.200000</sc-largefilewrite>
<sc-largefileread>122.100000</sc-largefileread>
<sc-largefilecopyto>560.700000</sc-largefilecopyto>
<sc-largefilecopyfrom>564.100000</sc-largefilecopyfrom>
<sc-manyfileswrite>3326.100000</sc-manyfileswrite>
<sc-manyfilesread>358.300000</sc-manyfilesread>
<sc-manyfilescopyto>3336.100000</sc-manyfilescopyto>
<sc-manyfilescopyfrom>3571.600000</sc-manyfilescopyfrom>
<sc-dirlisting>1226.000000</sc-dirlisting>
</storagecard-test>
</storagecard-tests>

Sunno S880 Benchmark - Second test
CORRECTION: In my first posting, I said that the S880 doesn't have a built-in stylus, but I have since found it! It is very neatly hidden in the bottom right of the phone.
Ok, I've now run SKTools' benchmark. There seems to be quite a variation in the results on different runs of the tests, so this is only a snapshot and may not indicate the best or worst performance of the S880. The SKTools results usefully provide results from other phones: in the results below, I've also given results for the Touch Diamond (528MHz), Samsung Omnia II (800MHz) and HDC Touch HD2 (1GHz). Mhz250, I took a look at the video on china mobile com and the form factor of the model matches my own.
Setup as before:
- phone plugged into mains
- connections off (bluetooth, phone, wifi)
- Screen lightness mid-way, with a timeout of 15 seconds
Results:
Integer: 347 Moves / 25usec :
Compare with: 331 HTC Touch Diamond (528MHz)
530 Samsung Ominia II (800Mhz)
813 HTC HD2 (1 GHz)
Floating point: 8.751
Compare with: 7.64 HTC Touch Diamond
11.40 Samsung Omia II
19.71 HTC HD2
Ram Access: 929
Compare with: 472 HTC Touch Diamond
795 Samsung Omia II
1445 HTC HD2
Draw Bitmaps: 1262
Compare with: 765 HTC Touch Diamond
1621 Samsung Omia II
1135 HTC HD2
Main storage (write): 1901
Compare with: 14698 (!!?) HTC Touch Diamond
3750 Samsung Omia II
4983 HTC HD2
Main storage (read): 5003
Compare with: 16786 (!!?) HTC Touch Diamond
9480 Samsung Omia II
63340 (!!?) HTC HD2

Sunno S880 Conclusions: Steer clear!
So, up to now I've been recording first impressions and also benchmarks. Now that I've had some time to use the Sunno S880 as a phone, it is worth adding: it's rubbish.
a) call quality is very poor - those calling me hear an echo of themselves and also complain that it's very hard to make out what I'm saying. So if you don't want to be continually be repeating yourself, avoid.
b) the phone continually loses signal, often mid call. And I'm not talking about areas of "poor reception", this happens in our capital city.
Additionally: battery life is very short, I was getting a drop of about 50% overnight with light usage (about two-three calls, 5 mins playing mah jong).
In the end, I had to cut my losses and buy the cheapest big-brand phone that I could live with, so I got a Samsung Tocco Lite. Although I'm no fan of its software interface, the call quality on the Tocco is crystal clear and there's none of the loss of signal that I was experiencing with the S880.
So I'd have to conclude: avoid the Sunno S880.

Sunno s880 pro
Hi everybody
I would like to give you my feed back about the Sunno S880pro.
First I bought this mobile phone to the website Mobino1, the shipping was fast.
1-My first surprise was that the package was a bulk ,not in a nice packet (like the samsung phone).
2-The phone in itself is nice , the screen also.
3-The problems comes when I wanted to use the phone.
The wireless, bluethoot and phone network are not stabile, I have always disconnections. An When a use the wireless, bluethoot the Battery discharges very quickly.
The Big Problem is that I cannot make a call and send SMS With the Mobile phone company "BASE" (in Belgium). So with friends we tested with anothers Mobile phone Company " Mobistar" & "Proximus",In this case the calling work well.
So I decided to change my subscription to Mobistar.
To my big surprise after two days the disconnection problems come back again.
I still have the problem actually.
I try in vain to find another ROM for this phone ,but I have not found.
If someone has the program, I m interested to have.
thank you for your understanding
sorry for my poor english
Emmanuel

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"You can enjoy the joys and wonder of Android without spending a fortune...!"
I now intend to see if this is true!
Thread Purpose:
Provide a discussion area for those of us who are financially impaired, like myself, but want to experience the joys and wonders that tablets and android might hold...
At the moment the thread may also touch on android on mini-tablets (which might also make calls...) and larger tablets (with keyboards...hdds...lcd monitors etc) simply because on a shoestring budget you have to make do with what you have.
I hope to explore ways in which you can use Android it in new and interesting ways without paying out massive amounts on expensive hardware.
I'm not sure if it is totally achievable or not, but I'm sure it will be interesting to find out what you can do for less compared to the expensive options which are out there.
Idea's, comments, thoughts, discussions are all welcome.
The more unusual and interesting the better!
Thread Structure:
This first post will provide an index and links to the main discussion points/topics on the thread.
[Will see how this works!]
Periodically I shall post a new topic to discuss.
23March2011 - Topic One : Show Me The Droid
Method One: Using your existing laptop or PC
Method Two: Using the android emulator (also on your existing laptop or PC)
Method Three: Using your existing phone
29March2011 - Topic Two : A Low Cost Tablet
Part One: Justifying the purchase
Part Two: Android From The Box
Part Three: Passing the grade? (A-E)
Part Four: Passing the grade? (Continued...F-J)
12April2011 - Topic Three : Low Level Basics
Part One: Oh ADB Debugger!
Part Two: The Root Of It All
Part Three: Backups, ROMs and Flashbacks
Part Four: First Time Flasher! (added 1stAug11)
27June2011 - Topic Four: Low Level Interfacing
Part One: Android RS232 I/O
22Sept2011 - Topic Five: Development Tools & Tricks
Part One: Screenshots & Remote Control
Part Two: Scripts & Shortcuts
Side Topics
04May2011 - Side Topic: The Future! Quad core and beyond
02June2011 -Side Topic: Multi-Touch Technology - with No Touch Screen!
Q&A:
crevlthe: Are most apps up-sized to fit the resolution of tablets?
[I'll keep updating this thread every few days]
- please post comments, thoughts and ideas anyway, particularly if topic related.
I would love to hear about peoples thoughts and ideas
(simply reference Topic X:Method X/Step X etc if you want to comment on one item in particular).
Enjoy!

Small Print:
For the following posts I shall try to reference the source websites where possible, however apologies if I get this wrong, please feel free to pm me or post on the thread with any corrections and I'll amend the entry. Regarding images, where possible I shall try to use my own images, but at times this may not be possible. If you find I have used your image and you do not wish it to be used, then simply let me know and I'll change it. Where possible I shall state where the images have come from.
Clearly, the details in the thread are purely discussion and while I try to make them as accurate as possible I can not guarantee this. Damage or loss may occur by following some/all of the instructions, so if you do, do with care and at your own risk, I take no responsibility for your actions.

Topic One : Show Me The Droid
Before you can do anything with Android, you probably want to see it!
This topic will outline various ways you can "get at the driod" without spending anything.
Method One: Using your existing laptop or PC
This was the first way I got to play with Android (a long while ago), and that is using an Android live CD. I used something similar to the live CD from http://www.android-x86.org/ (images taken from site), which allows you to boot your computer with Android.
You can burn the image on to a CD/DVD and boot it cleanly or you can use a virtual machine and boot within that.
With a little bit of legwork, and a compatible computer you can boot from a USB key so you can carry your droid with you.
You can even install it, even dual boot, if you are brave!
While this is a simple and very cheap option (at most it should cost a CD/DVD to burn on), there is one slight problem...most computers don’t have touch, gravity sensors etc etc!
You have a number of options if you are seriously wanting to use this more:
1. You can continue to use the mouse (at least they seem to have a cursor now!)
2. You could probably make use of a large touch-pad (can be expensive, but cheaper ones are around)
3. If you have a small screen you could try adding a touch screen (8-10” touch screen overlay can be quite cheap but you will need to install it yourself and that can be tricky and will risk damage).
Perhaps this method could be interesting to try out as a low cost GoogleTV platform, but there would need to be some work done regarding the control method. Someday I may look into this option in more detail...
Microsoft Kinect not been plugged into to android yet???
Anwser: Yes it has! Ok, shame I don’t have one.

Topic One : Show Me The Droid
Method Two: Using the android emulator (also on your existing laptop or PC)
Of course for the developers out there, there is always the Android emulator which comes as part of the Android development package. Each time Android update the SDK (software development kit) for the latest release of Android, the emulator is updated to run the newest version of Android (this is often the source of early ROMs).
This does allow you to play with the latest Android version as soon as it is out, so you can get a feel for what features are improved etc and you can try out different versions to get an idea about the differences between them. You don't even need to install anything more than the Android emulator SDK if you don't want to write any code, as you can run the emulator separately to the development environment.
However, not only does this have similar control issues (except maybe that you get “soft-buttons”) but it is quite slow even on a fast machine.
(Click Image For Larger Version)
The advantage of course is it opens up a whole world of development options. The google developer site provides instructions for getting set up. Once you’ve jumped through the hoops, you can try it out by having a go at the various tutorial applications.
(Click Image For Larger Version)
Again this is something I may look at in more detail another time (such as getting setup, exploring what you can do with it and perhaps some simple development steps).

Topic One : Show Me The Droid
Method Three: Using your existing phone
You might just have that elusive Android device already, you just don't know it yet!
Clearly this option will vary wildly on the type of device you have and how in-depth you are willing to go. I’ve not managed to find a full list of devices which do support running android but it is safe to say that the “list” is growing all the time.
For me, my Phone is a Windows Mobile Phone, the HTC Blackstone, it’s quite an old device (in relative terms) but it has a good screen (3.8", 480 x 800) and modest processor (528 MHz ARM 11).
Fortunately for me, the XDAndroid group support this device, so I was able to make use of one of the many Android builds on the forums. I’m not quite sure what the current status is of this project, it seems although device specific threads have stopped, there are Android builds going up to 2.2.3...which I’ve had working on my device.
For the blackstone, running android is fairly pain free, since you install the files to your sd-card and if things don’t work out, you just delete them. One key component I required, was ditching (swapping) my class-6 SD card for a slower one (yes, slower!), once I’d switched to a class-2 one, android was up and running nicely.
(Click Image For Larger Version)
However, don’t get too excited yet, as many of the builds will have features which don’t work yet, such as Bluetooth support, camera and in-call voice (you can spend a long time getting the right mix of files for your device to get all these working) and many 3D accelerated games won't work. A lot of progress is being made here (I’ll go into this in more detail another time). Some issues you can live with and some you can’t. Also, if your device (like mine) is not a total powerhouse then you can expect things to run at less than optimal speed. Overall, don’t expect to be replacing your OS with an all singing all dancing Android one this way, unless you have decent device to start with.
All is not lost! By using one of the many dual-boot apps (they simply show a splash screen as soon as possible on power up) allow you to quickly select between your normal Windows Mobile OS and the Android one.
i.e. Gen.Y DualBoot by yozgatg
(Click Image For Larger Version)
This means you can keep a build of Android (or several if you wish) on your SD card and have a play with Android from time to time.
Personally I think this is an excellent option, even if the results aren’t perfect and it’ll probably cost you a fair bit of time experimenting, but the results are totally worth it.
I might revisit this in more detail if people would like me to. Hopefully I can learn a little more about the internals of how it fits together and provide a post on that.
For HD2 users (and some other phones), who are just too spoilt for choice, they can also install Android to their NAND (internal memory). This means they can totally replace the Windows Mobile OS on their system with Android, and because the device is fast, it apparently runs well enough to do so.

Topic Two : A Low Cost Tablet
Part One: Justifying the purchase
First off, the most important bit for this topic, how much does it cost?
I managed to get (buy) it for $90 (£56), including free shipping (limited time special offer).
Note:
I would not recommend this tablet at it's "normal" price of $130, since there are other tablets in that price range which are clearly better.
However, for me, the lower price was key here.
To put it in perspective, the Samsung Tab 7 Inch was £500 here - or $800!
The specs:
Code:
Model: Haipad M701
CPU: Telechip Tcc8902, 800MHz (ARM11)
OS: Android 2.1
RAM: 256MB
ROM: 2GB
Screen: 7 Inch Resistive (800 x 480px)
Ext Ports:
9v Supply
3.5mm Audio
Mini Usb (OTG Host) - hopefully will support Mass Storage devices
HDMI
TF (MicroSDHC)
Size: 192 x 114 x 15mm
Weight: 330g
Extra Details:
Gravity Sensor
Android Market
Adobe Flash (not supported)
Camera 0.3Mp
Wifi 802.11 b/g
My thought process regarding the purchase is this:
1. I really want an Android tablet, I’ve been look at them for months (in fact probably just after the iPad came out). In all that time I’ve lusted after tablet after tablet, but each time it came down to the cost, and the fact that I simply did not have $200/$250/$300 laying around. Throughout that period the number of tablets available have ballooned, the capabilities and specs too. I found myself looking at the affordable tablets, and then looking at the next one up (hdmi), then the next one (10” screen) and then the next one (multi-touch), until I’d priced myself out of my purchase.
2. With the advent of the tegra chips and honeycomb, the price of admission has been bumped slightly (I’d say you are starting at $300 for a low end one (quality of the screen/touch is be compromised - Advent Vega)) - previous to that an A8 based tablet, such as the A81 for around $200-250 was a good deal. To be a serious contender for anything which comes after honeycomb (for the tablet branch), and gaming platform that is developing (of which Cordy is the thin end of the wedge), the power step provided by the Tegra family is a must.
3. Back when I first started looking at tablets, I was in fact considering a very similar device (the X10 and the G10, of which the Haipad M701 is fairly similar).
4. Aside from wanting to use the latest and greatest releases from Android and games etc, there is a need for more modest requirements to be met. Can a basic tablet do this, I intend to find out?
These "modest" potential uses would be:
A: Replace/supplement a poorly designed portable Toshiba DVD player for in-car use, which in my opinion was probably the worst product I’ve ever purchased (despite the quite promising spec sheet) - although obviously I may need to revise this status soon!
B: A Doodle pad, something which my phone gets commandeered for quite often by my off-spring. So a slightly larger screen would be useful for this.
C: Simple Web-browser, most of the time only a quick check on the web is needed, so this may be more helpful than firing up the laptop (which being a work one, dislikes my wifi and network most the time).
D: Music player, either from connected memory for in the car or perhaps from the network.
E: eReader, I’ve read a few books on the Blackstone’s 3.8" screen, so a larger screen would be helpful.
F: Require a device with camera and HDMI at minimum, since this will hopefully provide more options to experiment with (1st build of Android on the blackstone, didn’t have camera support which ruled out things like google goggles etc).
G: USB Host (mass storage), I am hoping that the device will allow me to use external storage devices via the usb, this would be very handy for dealing with camera pictures and videos etc.
H: USB Device keyboard support, I find it very annoying that the Blackstone has no h/w keys, this seriously limits what you can do with it (such as emulation programs etc) as there is no easy way to control things.
I: RS232 Support: Although I seriously doubt it, it would be really useful to get RS232 monitoring running on the device.
J: A development platform for writing android software on and to learn about android.
In Summary:
Overall, aside from the video/USB requirements, I hope that I am not being too ambitious for this device, but clearly I probably am. If/Once I get the device, I shall evaluate it against these requirements and also see what other uses I can put it to. I don’t expect the device to manage all of the uses above (particularly out-the-box), but hopefully it an fulfill at least some of them (even if it takes some custom firmware/modding or even some custom hardware to achieve this) I shall be happy.
For all I know, the tablet may well never turn up...and if it does it could be next to useless (i.e. next to that Toshiba DVD player...). As it happens, one review of a similar device was “expensive paper weight”, I’d estimate it about the weight of a medium sized cup of coffee (without the cup), so might be useful for when we get the fans out in the office this summer.
My purchase timeline:
Purchased tablet on 17th March (estimated delivery 10 working days).
Item shipped on 18th March (estimated shipping 15-20 days).
“Departure from outward office of exchange” 22nd March - Left the source country.
Received item 28th March!
Overall Delivery time: 11days (7 working days).
In return for the excellent shipping, I can say that the item was from PandaWill.
Out of the box review coming soon!

Thread has moved from "General" to it's new home in "Android Software and Hacking General". At first I didn't plan for it to be Android exclusive but as it turns out, it is, so hello to all on this thread.
I am very new to Android, so please be kind!
I hope this thread can be a beginners introduction of some kind, let me know if there are errors or if you would like more information on parts etc.
Regards.

Topic Two : A Low Cost Tablet
Part Two: Android From The Box
Packaged in a retail box:
(Click Image For Larger Version)
- Tablet (thankfully)
- 9volt 1.5Amp Output Power Supply (US plug)
- US to UK plug adaptor (a nice touch, clearly they take notice of the shipping address)
- 2x USB Cable (mini USB to USB male, short mini USB to USB female)
- Basic set of ear phones
- Product dimensions measure exactly as stated in the spec (I’d previously printed out picture of the screen to 1:1 scale based on the measurements).
Although I didn’t expect to get an HDMI cable, I didn’t expect the HDMI port to be a mini one, so it would have been helpful to have included one here (or at least an adaptor).
(Note: The USB car adaptor is not for it and did not come with it, but I thought it helps as a guide for size - it won’t charge by USB).
Charging:
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The first thing I did was to plug the tablet in for a charge, there are two reasons for this. Firstly to check that the power supply is functional and safe (i.e. does not over heat) and secondly for the battery.
If the battery is at a low level, you have to treat it carefully - particularly if was in storage (as it will gradually lose charge over time). Li-ion batteries if drained below their bottom limit, will “crash” their voltage, this causes a lot of damage to the battery and it may never recover fully (or in attempting to do so it may cause excess heat == bad news). You should always avoid switching any device on when the battery is in this state, so always charge just in case before trying to switch on (most electronics should refuse to turn on, but best not to count on it).
For this reason I was pleased to find that the battery was charged to approximately 60-80% (I guess) which is around the recommended storage/shipping level. Also the charger or tablet did not burst into flames, which was nice too!
Turned On:
Switching on the device, immediately the screen shows a colourful splash screen, then some linux penguin/mole, before displaying the normal android boot. Instantly I am pleased that the screen is working! I am also impressed that the screen quality, brightness and colour look quite good.
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60 Seconds later and Android has booted!
I would be interested to know if this is particularly fast or slow (my only comparison is booting the Blackstone Android from SD, which takes about 4 mins). For me, 1 min seems fast enough, certainly as fast as starting windows mobile. For normal use, the device can be put to sleep with the main ([]) button, which is instant on and off.
Screen was already calibrated, and the normal start-up wizard ran for Android.
Pre-Installed Software:
Aside from the standard stuff, you get ES File Explorer, Meridian Media Player, Skype (I’ve not tested that yet), SkyFire Browser, Aldiko eReader, QuickOffice, YouTube App and Android Market. The pre-installed Android Market worked fine, and I was downloading new apps in seconds. There are also some Chinese apps which I’ve not tried, but overall, there is everything to on there to get you started off and enough for you to use it directly out of the box.
Aside from some demo pictures and a video, there was also some video which I guess was taken when they tested the unit, it is a good sign that they appear to have taken the time to check the unit works, calibrate it, check things like the camera are functional etc (not sure if this was Pandawill or the manufacturer, but it was within an office so I suspect the former). At 0.3mp, the front facing camera clearly isn’t amazing, but in reasonable lighting it is good enough to see the subject in question quite clearly (one thing though is it is mirrored - guess for skype use (if that works)).
Out Of The Box Impression:
Overall initial impressions are, the screen appears to be pretty good for the money. Colours are slightly more washed out than a more expensive screen, but not overly so. The resistive touch screen does take a firm-ish touch to use, but again, not overly more than other resistive touch screens.
The size and weight of the unit appears to be nicely balanced, it is easy to hold in a single hand (for an adult) while using it with another (or thumb typing and holding either side). The outside bezel is just the right size that, if you need to, you can hold the edge with your thumb without touching the screen etc. The plastic housing, which is rigid and feels solid, makes the unit feel quite good quality. The piano black finish of the back (like a psp) does attract fingerprints however the screen itself doesn’t, which is great.
Although it was never going to be the fastest Android experience, however the unit does seem to keep up with the operating system fairly well, definitely fast enough to be usable.
The unit feels nice and appears to work well, so far excellent value for money.
Next time I shall evaluate the tablet against my requirements and see how it fares...

Topic Two : A Low Cost Tablet
Part Three: Passing the grade? (A-E)
Crunch time! How does the low cost tablet fare when lined up against my expectations and needs?
Meeting My Requirements:
A: Replacing A Portable DVD Player
Viewing photos, videos and listening to music from the pre-installed samples was easy and the units response was reasonable. There was good video playback of the 720p sample (I expect this was encoded to suit the device obviously), and the photo browser did a nice job of displaying and sorting through the photos. Sound was ok, by no means hi-fi standard but enough to listen to over moderate background noise (sound as good as the DVD player - but can’t really say this is hard). This will take a bit more investigation to determine what formats are supported and from where (local storage, microSD, flash stick, HDD, network, internet etc etc). However, even if videos need to specifically encoded as long as they can be played from a mass-storage device (or at a push the SD card), this should meet this requirement fine (did I mention the old DVD player is terrible...).
B: A Doodle Pad
It took no time at all for my offspring to try this, safe to say the unit passes this test with flying colours. One huge improvement is that the Blackstone touch sensitive call buttons etc were not in the way any more. Still to find the perfect app for this:
On Windows Mobile its My Note by MyLostBlog which is a good balance between clear interface and function (I still prefer 2.1 over 2.6).
(Click Image For Larger Version)
On the DS, Art Academy is favourite (although what it has in features, it lacks flexibility). Also Flip Note is worth a mention, I would love to find a similar app on Android.
Art Academy (art software) / Flipnote (animation program)
(Click Images For Larger Versions)
At the moment the star for Android is AutoDesk’s SketchBook Mobile (perhaps a little complex for younger children to fully do everything but easy enough for them to use and enjoy most of the features, excellent for adult use too!). AutoDesk’s app shows the quality that is possible with Android (although at the expense of lag free response on this particular device), I’m still very impressed and the 7 inch screen makes it all the more enjoyable.
C: Simple Web-browser
First off the lack of flash is annoying, but there is at least “some” flash support (I assume flash lite) from the Skyfire Browser, and even the google browser when it came across an embedded YouTube video it directed it to the YouTube app to play.
Browsing is reasonable, the wifi signal is probably below normal, but if you have a good signal, the browsing speed as comparable to my phone (for me the google browser appeared to be faster, but that might have been down to my wifi signal at the time). Here, multi-touch or at least the dual-touch of the later M701 models would be useful, as Pinch-to-zoom would be helpful. At least with the 7 inch screen the need to zoom in and out all the time is reduced (also I’m sure by experimenting with different browsers and settings the perfect balance will be achievable). It will never replace the desktop for web-browsing, but it is fine for quick searches etc.
Google Browser / Skyfire Browser
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D: Music player
I’ll hold judgement on this until I find a more flexible app, since I had problems navigating around my music and playing it by folder unless it was on the SD card (I was only using some files I had available, I’m sure it is a lot simpler with correctly tagged albums). Once playing the music though, it managed ok (although it did experience issues if you attempted to “multi-task” and load apps etc while music was in the background - although that may have been the app I was using and/or fiddling around with the usb connections). The quality isn’t the best I’ve heard, but it is sufficient. I think overall, with the right app, the unit will perform this task without issue.
E: eReader
Just by trying the pre-installed Aldiko application, it is clear to see that this unit is great for reading. The text was very clear and easy to read with plenty of text visible and even on the smallest font setting (point 10) you can easily read without issue. The g-sensor rotates the screen as required (hopefully there is an option to turn it off - for reading while laying down [Yes, there is a setting for android generally]). The screen is slightly shiny so would suffer in direct sunlight, however it is reasonable for reading in average lighting. I also tested with a pdf, which displayed ok using QuickOffice, but features such as re-flow (available with Adobe’s reader) would definitely help to fit things on the screen.
[Update: Once I've installed Adobe reader, pdf's are very easy to read, although the lack of resuming where you left off means you have to keep track of page numbers yourself (this is no different to the Windows Mobile version).]
CONTINUED BELOW...

Congrats!
Really great post

enotar said:
Congrats!
Really great post
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! I should be adding some more later on today.
I'm open for suggestions for topics etc.

Topic Two : A Low Cost Tablet
Part Four: Passing the grade? (Continued...F-J)
Meeting My Requirements (Continued...):
F: Camera & HDMI
As I previously mentioned the camera is not very good, but since it is front facing (it’s located to the right side of the ([]) button) it clearly is not suitable for taking snaps etc. Using google-goggles, the images are just about usable, but it appears the google-goggles app can’t take the pictures directly (you can import pictures which then allows you to take photos using the standard app and open them).
(Click Image For Larger Version)
[Android Logo taken with camera]
I’ve just tested the HDMI (I’ve managed to get a mini-HDMI cable) and after enabling the output via the settings page and restarting, the screen correctly displayed on the TV. Films and games do look good on the TV, although some adjustment to the alignment would be useful. Although you can output in either 1080p and 720p, the resolution is matched to the device 800x480 (although I might be wrong for direct video output), also from first impression, 1080p is lower colour depth than 720p output.
G: USB Host
Ideally the USB connection for host/OTG would be it’s own full size female usb socket (i.e. a normal USB socket) but instead you need to use the USB cable provided which converts the miniUSB to a USB socket. Tested with microSD card reader, flash memory stick (4Gb Kingston), the Blackstone (in mass-storage mode) and even 2.5 HDD which worked even without extra power (I was surprised at this as it is only a generic enclosure with a random laptop drive, however I did not try this with a low battery just in case that did damage). All of which appear under the /scsi/ directory. So far I’ve been unable to find how to “unmount” the drives (you can unmount the sd-card and the internal nand memory via the settings but not the OTG device), so when you disconnect you get “USB Device unexpectedly removed” message.
H: USB Device keyboard support
Using the same OTG cable, plugging in a keyboard was easy and seamless (it just works straight away). In fact, I tested this using a Logitech wireless Keyboard and Mouse and both worked perfectly (aside from the fact the keyboard is about 5 times the size of the tablet). I also tried another USB keyboard, which in the past I've noticed does not work when within DOS on a PC (where the Logitech does), this did not work, but I suspect this is simply the keyboard being slightly unusual. Keeping an eye out for a small and cheap keyboard now.
I: RS232 Support
I attempted this just out of interest but not really knowing what to look for can’t be sure it did anything. I don’t expect this to work without some serious work, but will see what can be achieved if anything. The reason for this is that many low level electronics projects can be controlled/monitored using RS232. In addition to this, I’ve also tried a bluetooth dongle (it has no bluetooth built in), and LAN adaptor, clearly they didn’t magically start working (no doubt the build does not have the correct drivers installed etc), but this is something I will look into.
J: A development platform
At a basic level, I can copy over built APK (android application) files and install them, even the ones which I had issues with on the Blackstone work fine on the device. Developing applications and working directly with the tablet is possible (will look at this in more detail another time), as a development device it is ideal.
The not so good...
Hardware Interfaces:
The single OTG mini usb port is annoying, it would be help to connect more than one device etc and not need to use an adaptor cable.
The mini HDMI, again would be good not to need a special cable for this (at least would have been useful to know ahead of time).
Buttons...no physical home or volume buttons, this does make things difficult sometimes (I believe there are software solutions for this, or options to re-map the keys).
Out-Of-Box mapping is: ([]) is power/screen key, right-side of rocker (with Home Icon) is the menu key, left-side of the rocker (with menu icon) is the back key! Once you get used it, it may be the best layout anyway, will need to experiment.
No Usb charging, from a pure ease of use point of view this would be very helpful, but most tablets don’t support this.
Sticking out of the SDHC card (puts the card at risk of snapping) - later version of this tablet this doesn’t stick out.
Obviously multitouch, bluetooth etc would be nice, but we know that.
The Grey Grey market:
This device “IS” a fake...Real Haipad vs. Fake
I can’t work out though if the unit functions any worse than a real one, all I know is, this one functions better than I was expecting and I’ve not found anything which the originals (if it is a fake) did which this doesn’t (so far).
I've now confirmed this with Pandawill, that the tablet is OEM, not a HaiPad original (at least they 'fessed up to it!). Considering it was sold as part of their own "Fight Against Internet Crime" promotion due to their recent DOS hack attack, it is a little naughty but as you can probably tell by now, I am still very happy with the device, no matter it's origin (but glad it was discounted). Also, the device does function as described by the specs, so other than the manufacturer the rest of the listing is accurate.
The only real issue is that new firmware will be a problem since I can't be sure if it will work or not.
Not all joy and perfection (I’d be mad to expect it):
Most applications appear to work, however, I’ve found that Angry Birds has issues with the surface texture graphics (the text which shows the menus/scores - a pain, but the rest of the game is playable). Apparently later versions such as Rio work fine, this just appears to be a feature of the telechip processor and does this for all HaiPad M701. Since I am not obsessed about Angry Birds (I can stop any-time I want, no really I can...) I can live with it. Also Raging Thunder 2 isn’t playable since I can’t see the menu blocks to select anything, I guess for the same issue.
Most games appear to work fine, such as Air Control, TurboFly 3D (lags sometimes, but not surprisingly since its full-on 3D graphics), Waveblaster (works very nicely, with G-sensor working), Pacific Wings (no g-sensor control). The G-Sensor doesn’t work on some games, but fortunately most have alternative options if that is the case.
It's a mixed bag for games, but fortunately I never intended games to be it's main use and I am quite happy with decent puzzle games etc anyway.
Overall - "A solution for now, but not the future":
The unit runs an ARM11 at 800MHz, with 256RAM, lets face it, it will never do all the graphical gymnastics that the Nvida Tegra 2 processors will perform and doing all but the very basics will probably leave it out-of-breath. Such a device is no laptop or even netbook replacement, but much like the iPod touch, it is a media player with many bonus features (& on a much better budget).
I’m sure as time passes (probably not long either) more and more applications will leave this type of low cost tablet behind, with the pace of processor development at the moment this should really be no surprise at all. But for now, the market is open and the apps are flowing, so I’ll sit back and enjoy them!

Topic Three: Low Level Basics
Part One: Oh ADB Debugger!
One of the first steps in getting properly connected to your devices innards is to ensure you are able to use the ADB (Android Debug Bridge).
The ADB is command-line terminal which allows you to directly control the device and file system of the device (or emulated device) from a PC or MAC.
On the face of it you might wonder why the ADB is of much use, the answer is that it allows a direct route to the entire file system as well as providing debug access directly on target as well as monitor log outputs as programs run. Overall it is similar to ActiveSync for windows mobile. Another reason to have this working is that if your device fails to boot, something messes up your system or say the touch-screen fails, you can use ADB to access everything on the device and also re-flash it. Also you will probably need ADB to root your device (more on that later).
There are a number of guides available for setting up ADB, so I won’t go into detail on them. Personally I followed Google’s own developers guide for setting up the Android SDK (Software Development Kit) since I also intend to write Android software and the ADB is part of that.
However, after a quick search, the following guide appears to cover most of the details.
The UnLocker - How To: SetUp ADB/USB Drivers for Android Devices.
For my device, the ADB driver needed some fiddling around with, since windows would not accept the driver was for my device [Editing the ini file and adding the VID and PID of the hardware didn't help me].
Eventually I found the following (following a tip from SlateDroid): The app PdaNet appears to supply suitable drivers.
I also recommend adding the location of ADB to your system path, so that you can call it from any command-line location.
Once the drivers are installed, check that when the device is connected (and debugging is enabled via settings) that typing “adb devices” from the command-line shows a device).
C:\> adb devices
List of devices attached
0123456789ABCDEF device
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you want to write software using Ecilpse you’ll also want to check that it can connect and deploy applications directly to the device for testing.
Within the Ecilpse, under the run menu select “Run Configurations...”, within the Target Tab, the “Deployment Target Selection Mode” must be set to “Manual”.
(Click Image For Larger Version)
This enables the “Android Device Chooser” to prompt when you attempt to run/debug from Ecilpse.
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Build and run your application or a test one and it should now run directly on your device.
There are also a number of GUI apps around which make use of ADB to provide easy ways to manage applications, transfer files etc all without needing to mount and unmount your sd cards to and from the device. At the moment I’ve started using DroidExplorer, even from initial impressions it is clear the features are quite extensive (you could probably write about 20 guides on how to use all of it correctly).

an excellent article overall.
question about the tablets: are most apps up-sized to fit the resolution, or are there a large variety of apps natively designed to run at the bigger resolution?

crevlthe said:
an excellent article overall.
question about the tablets: are most apps up-sized to fit the resolution, or are there a large variety of apps natively designed to run at the bigger resolution?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is an interesting question!
Although my tablet is WVGA which is the same as the blackstone (so I can't test this directly!).
You'd need a much higher resolution device to go beyond the officially supported resolutions, (obviously Android 3.0 supports more).
From what I've read and from doing some app development, apps should scale to fit the screen (if programmed correctly). I've read that some apps don't scale for some tablets, what the root reason is for this, I wouldn't know, since the support is there in the API.
Basically, the android sdk provides various ways to describe the layout of your screens, and they encourage you to use ones which describe them in terms of proportional amounts (for the Linear Layout) or in terms of position of items i.e. to the left of item A (for Relative Layout) etc. The other layouts all work along the same lines, i.e. you don't worry about the size of the screen and calculate each position by hand like you do with windows mobile etc, it is all determined by the API.
You can see the different layouts code here and if you find the ApiDemo APK (I'll post if you like) you can view them. However, you can break all the rules and still use the Absolute Layout, where you return to the good old days of x,y co-ordinates. Even then you can use a values which are relative to the screen size and pixel pitch (see Difference of px, dp, dip and sp in android..) so there really is no reason to hard-code it.
As for graphics, I've not done this yet, but I know this handled if you use "9-patch" png files...they describe them here.
The idea here is that the black pixels around the edge allow the designer to say which bits are fixed size and which bits can be stretched to fit etc. It is a really tidy way to do it I think. Imagine how you'd have to do it otherwise if you created a button image with an icon on which would need to be resized to fit!
Oh, there are also provisions to provide low-res, med-res and high-res versions of the graphical resources, so again everything should scale nicely and look good without the need to scale everything all the time. There shouldn't be any need as such for "large" versions of apps, unless the developer wants to change how the app works by making use of the extra space or if they want ensure the "small" version takes up less space. I'm not sure how it determines which resource to use etc or if they all get installed etc, I've not looked into it.
So as long as the designer of the app has done all this correctly then it "should" scale correctly to whatever resolution. Of course, to claim this is true, they would need to test all resolutions. Fortunately you can manually create high-resolution emulated devices so it can be done but that is not the default.
[Now you mention it though, I shall ensure I test any apps I create at least once in high-resolution, it sounds like a good idea!]
I think this might have been why the retina display didn't make it to the iPad2, it would have required app developers to produce yet more app versions to deal with it and re-do the graphics yet again. Unfortunately I don't know anything about how iOS deals with these things, but you don't get the standard sized app in the middle of the screen or a x2 type option as you do with iPads.
Thanks for posting the question, hopefully it answers it (in theory anyway).

Topic Three: Low Level Basics
Part Two: The Root Of It All
I looked and looked for this information but I couldn't find the clear answers I wanted regarding rooting, so here is the info I was after.
What is ROOT, do I need it?
Rooting your device is not essential, for most the things you do with a tablet you will not need root access. Rooting is the process by which you enable “Root” access to the system’s low level files and hardware, this is achieved by enabling “super user” [Linux term for the highest level access which has higher level permissions to files than a normal user (like an Administrator)] access.
In most cases, apps will access hardware and files through the Android API, but in some cases they may need better control of the hardware than the API allows or access to files which are normally locked.
For this reason these applications require “root” access, typically apps which take screenshots (I assume to allow access to the screen data) and backup programs (I expect to allow access to all your files) are such programs.
Am I Rooted?
One thing I had trouble working out was working out if the device was rooted already or not. The quickest way to find out is to try to use an app which requires root access, if you device isn’t rooted it will tell you.
A good way is to download “Terminal Emulator” from the market (or direct from the author) . Then type: su which stands for Super User! (if your device is correctly rooted the “$” will change to “#” (ideally it will also prompt you for permission to enter superuser mode first - see SuperUser.apk below)).
Other signs you are rooted is to look for the “su” file in /system/bin/ but this will not confirm if the file is set to be executable correctly or in some cases different names are used to make it harder for unwanted apps to locate it.
Can I break/brick my device by ROOTING?
Actually ROOTING the device shouldn’t really cause any problems (since all you are really doing is installing a file which allows you to grant “Superuser” access). However, since ROOTING (by definition) allows entering into “Superuser” mode, this mode does allow you make much more serious changes to the system than you would in a “Normal User” mode (which is the whole point!), so clearly there are some risks involved while in this mode (and you may want to consider how this fits with your warranty). If your device isn’t open, then I suspect the main risk is getting your device into an unlocked state so that you can perform the root process first (since my tablet was not locked in anyway, I don’t know about this aspect).
Once ROOTING is complete, you don’t remain as a “Superuser” but any application is able to use it if they require. For this reason, the Superuser.apk application is typically installed, which detects when a request for “superuser” permissions are made and allows you to accept or reject the request.
The ROOTING process itself is reversible, which you may wish to do if you need to return your device for repairs etc.
How to root?
There are many guides and methods, but I shall take one specific to my tablet (posted by OffWorld on androidtablets.net) and explain each step in detail, since none I found explain what it is you are doing.
First you need to get the latest su and superuser.apk files from here.
Now, connecting the device to your pc, open a command prompt and type:
adb devices
Adb will respond hopefully with your list of devices:
List of devices attached
0123456789ABCDEF device
This confirms your device is attached and adb is able to communicate correctly.
Command 1:
adb shell mount -o remount,rw /dev/block/mtdblock3 /system
This runs adb (the terminal program to your device) and mounts the specified folders with read/write access.
Command 2:
adb push su /system/bin/
This sends the “su” program to the location on the device (note this assumes have the “su” in the same directory as you are running adb from). You can confirm this by navigating to the location on your tablet and see that the file has been transferred.
Command 3:
adb shell chmod 4755 /system/bin/su
This changes the permissions of the “su” file you’ve just transferred [details about chmod].
By using the command: adb shell ls -l /system/bin/su you can see the permissions.
We’ve changed the permissions from -rw-rw-rw- to -rwsr-xr-x, this allows the file to be executed.
Command 4:
adb push Superuser.apk /system/app/
This installs the Superuser.apk package on the device. This is important since this app allows you to control superuser access, rather than just allowing any program to obtain “superuser” rights.
Command 5:
adb shell reboot
Restarts the device.
Following this process, you will have the SuperUser application installed and applications will request Superuser access if they require it.
Note:
You may find for screen capture programs you need to allow permissions automatically or you may only end up with screenshots of the permission screen! Yes that's how I got the above one...

Excellent topic ! i've got the same pad and was wondering if you did find out a good way to completely backup the firmware. I've used Titanium but that's not a complete dump.

JiePieWie said:
Excellent topic ! i've got the same pad and was wondering if you did find out a good way to completely backup the firmware. I've used Titanium but that's not a complete dump.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Welcome to Xda!
That was going to be my next topic.
I've just been focusing on my WM development stuff at the moment (new RSSTab in the works), but will return to the tablet after I am done.
I'm not quite sure the best way to back it up yet, I was planning on trying out the ClockMod route, trouble is I'm quite new to it, so a little cautious about doing it before holidays.
I hope to try out some low level interfacing using the usb at some point too, as I've got a development board to play with.

Side Topic: The Future! Quad core and beyond
This time next year, Rodney...
Just saw this, and thought I would share here!
ASUS planning quad-core Tegra 3 tablet
See the two videos which are on the linked page...
Yes that is 2560x1600 resolution, hopefully to go into a 10" retina display.
Simply said, the future of these chips look rather interesting to say the least (no doubt are related to Sony's NGP).
Looking at the video, what we will be able to do with mobile devices will be rather impressive. Combine that with the new touch and perhaps kinect type control technologies as well as improvements with battery capacity/recharge tech, improved clear & colourful screens and things are shaping up nicely.
Boy are we going to have some fun hacking the innards out of them!
It is easy to see that for me, I've made the right choice by not spending lots of money on an impressive and expensive tablet at the moment. Since I'm happy to wait for a better tablet and until then I can have fun playing with my basic one.
Let just hope that the manufactures come up with a decent device, that is able to be hacked and perhaps might even be half decent out-of-the-box.
What is next? Who knows!
It's interesting really since I think that phones are quite close to the point where they have about as much processing power as they need** (perhaps with the exception of ones which include extra connectivity to HDMI/pico projector, keyboards etc). When they are subjected to the confines of a 3.8"/4" screen, you start to hit the limits of usability rather than processing power. Tablets have given the hardware room to stretch it's legs a little and show us what it can do!
**I'm not saying they won't need more in future, but I think perhaps an upgrade won't be as essential or spectacular, as it once was, until they evolve to the next form of course. I suppose the ultimate progression though is the usability of something like a tablet or pc but packaged in the form of a phone or smaller device in some form or another.
The software needs to catch up now though, we need better multi-core programming techniques, far far better privacy protection, and better stability overall. Thankfully hardware gives us the grunt to do this, it just needs to develop and improve to the point where coding can be done at the highest level of abstraction (which allows time to be spent on creative aspects rather than low level code details).
If you want to look even further, the prospect of re-programmable hardware is getting closer. This is where all the single purpose chips (such as video decoders) are replaced/supplemented by ones which can be re-programmed. Not only does this allow for codecs etc to be updated while still keeping the advantage of hardware decoding/coding (i.e. realtime without loading the main processor or drawing lots of power), but some applications could in-theory call in dedicated processing for specific tasks allowing for some amazing performance when performing complex and processor intensive tasks.
Fun times are a-coming!
Bright things are ahead for our fondle blocks, I don't even care too much if they are android or ipad or something else, as long as we can buy it (without selling a leg or two - ok, not iPad then!), program it, play with it and push it to it's limits and beyond!

Side Topic: Multi-Touch Technology - with No Touch Screen!
ZeroTouch 'optical multi-touch force field' makes a touchscreen out of just about anything
I wonder how much this costs to produce, quite a nice solution and ideal as a add-on to current screens. Depending of the cost of each infra-red and LED module it hopefully won't be too much. Imagine getting it fitted to your coffee table at home!

Spice Mi 500: All Things Root thread

Hi friends and spice mi 500 owners!
As local devices like mi 500 don't have a separate section for them on xda, here's a specific thread for our mi 500 where you can share everything related to the phone: ROMs, recoveries, themes, games you can play and everything that can be done on an Android.
Rooting your phone:
Download Bin4ry rooting tool from his thread.
Install drivers on your windows pc using pdanet.
Connect your phone to your pc.
Unzip Bin4ry's tool and run the RunMe.bat batch script.
Follow the instructions that roll in the command window and you will be done.
A big thanks to Nileshtambe for this.
ClockworkMod ported to Spice Mi 500!
Download CWM or TWRP recovery.
Rename the downloaded file to recovery.img and transfer it to your phone's sd card.
Download Mobile uncle MTK Tools from Play Store.
Open the app and select update recovery.
Select yes in the confirmation dialog and your recovery will be flashed.
Thank you Yuweng for porting CWM, and NileshTambe for confirming it's working.
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Specs of Spice Mi 500:
Dimensions: 143x77.4x10.5 mm
GSM Phone,Quad-band GSM 850/ 900/ 1800/ 1900
MHz
Battery: 2400 mAh
5" TFT display with 480x800 resolution, 186.59 ppi density and 0.1361 mm dot pitch.
Weight: 205 g
Capacitive multitouch touch screen
Storage:
Internal: 2.07 GB
External: upto 32 GB
Ram: 512 MB
ROM: 4 GB
CAMERA:
Secondary/back camera: 5 megapixels with autofocus and dual LED flash
Primary Camera: 0.3 megapixel
GPS/A-GPS, proximity sensor, accelerometer
The phone is dual Sim and supports dual standby. Other hardware features include 3G, Bluetooth, Wifi and everything else generally found in a phone.
The phone can currently be ordered from saholic for inr 12,499.
Whatever follows ahead is not meant for noobs, neither for those who don't want to risk their devices. Following anything below might lead you to voiding your manufacturer warranty.
P.S. If any developer has got this device, please port clockwork mood recovery to this device. If you have got any specific rooting method that worked for your mi 500, post it below our pm me.

°*°*°*°*°*°*°*°*
Reserved
°*°*°*°*°*°*°*°*

°*°*°*°*°*°*°*°*°*°*
Reserved for future
°*°*°*°*°*°*°*°*°*°*

Subscribed.

Received my Spice Mi-500 - running commentary
Just received it 18 hours ago - this will be a running commentary on it. In a week's time I will post my full review
1) Looks good - not too bulky
2) Screen resolution is 800x480 - but its not pixelated. Screen bright and colors look accurate
3) Camera pathetic - some software bug creates hyper-contrasted and hyper-colored photos - needs a software update to fix this (NB: changing the camera settings on contrast, color, etc does nothing and photos still look pretty bad)
4) No compass - no magnetic sensor - Is this not present or has this not been activated??
5) The CPU and GPU are pretty good - MTK6577 dual core 1Ghz processor is fast and Antutu benchmark scores are very close to the Samsung S2. GPU works well on HD games (not fully tested)
6) Software is android 4.0.4 - not too many tweaks by Spice. A few preinstalled apps like TOI, dhingana, etc
7) Very responsive and fluid - no hangups or crashes yet
8) Battery life seems fine (but, not fully tested). GPS sucks away battery at the rate of 1% per minute. 3G usage is not as battery hungry
18hr report - great value for money phone - desperately needs a software update to fix the camera bug

Hello Vind_r,
Welcome to xda (I noticed it was your first post) and also to this thread.
Have you had any prior experience with any Android smartphone? Do you know rooting and stuff? If yes, then please check out if the processor given in the original post works for the mi 500 or not.
If no, you might want to check out the [URL ="http://www.droidiser.com/2012/07/must-have-apps-for-android-beginners.html"]list of must have apps for your new Android phone.[/URL]
Coming to the benchmark thing, can you post a screenshot/snap of the benchmark screen showing the results. Also try out the quadrant benchmark score and post it here so that we can compare it with some other devices. You're the only one here (at present) who is having the device, that's why I am asking you to do so much stuff

vind_r said:
3) Camera pathetic - some software bug creates hyper-contrasted and hyper-colored photos - needs a software update to fix this
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try alternative camera apps from the play store. Search for "camera"to get few relevant apps.
vind_r said:
No compass - no magnetic sensor - Is
this not present or has this not been
activated??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try this compass application:https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.devuni.compass&hl=en
If it works fine, your device has a magnetic sensor. Android phones most probably have a magnetic sensor.

vind_r said:
Just received it 18 hours ago - this will be a running commentary on it. In a week's time I will post my full review
1) Looks good - not too bulky
2) Screen resolution is 800x480 - but its not pixelated. Screen bright and colors look accurate
3) Camera pathetic - some software bug creates hyper-contrasted and hyper-colored photos - needs a software update to fix this (NB: changing the camera settings on contrast, color, etc does nothing and photos still look pretty bad)
4) No compass - no magnetic sensor - Is this not present or has this not been activated??
5) The CPU and GPU are pretty good - MTK6577 dual core 1Ghz processor is fast and Antutu benchmark scores are very close to the Samsung S2. GPU works well on HD games (not fully tested)
6) Software is android 4.0.4 - not too many tweaks by Spice. A few preinstalled apps like TOI, dhingana, etc
7) Very responsive and fluid - no hangups or crashes yet
8) Battery life seems fine (but, not fully tested). GPS sucks away battery at the rate of 1% per minute. 3G usage is not as battery hungry
18hr report - great value for money phone - desperately needs a software update to fix the camera bug
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can u plz post antutu,quadrant,nenamrk,nenamark 2 scores?
Is it scratch resistent?
which you is present in this phone?
does it gets heated?
is it really 200 grams ?
how is the battery life on heavy usage?
can it play nova and gta or any HD game like those?
how are all the sensors?
how is web browsing?
does second Sim gets disabled while first has data connection on?
does the screen gets fingerprints?
is the body made of cheap plastic our and solid material?
how does it feels in hand? is it easy to carry and has a comfortable grip?
can it be really used with single hand i mean can your fingers reach every party of the screen?

Mi-500 benchmark
droidiser said:
Hello Vind_r,
Welcome to xda (I noticed it was your first post) and also to this thread.
Have you had any prior experience with any Android smartphone? Do you know rooting and stuff? If yes, then please check out if the processor given in the original post works for the mi 500 or not.
If no, you might want to check out the ]
Coming to the benchmark thing, can you post a screenshot/snap of the benchmark screen showing the results. Also try out the quadrant benchmark score and post it here so that we can compare it with some other devices. You're the only one here (at present) who is having the device, that's why I am asking you to do so much stuff
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have experience rooting a lot of android devices - I have had android phones and tablets and have rooted/unlocked/hacked/installed custom rom/etc on them all!!. But I am not going to root/hack/customise my mi-500 for the next month - want to check out how all the hardware/software parts work before I start tweaking it. In a month of so, I will definitely start customising my mi-500 and I will certainly report back on this forum.
Coming to the benchmark, I have attached the Antutu benchmark scores - scores quite well (especially when one considers the price). But, am not a big believer in benchmarks - like real-life testing using real-world apps. The processor seems quite capable - In 1 day of mild usage, my Mi-500 has been very smooth, very fluid - does not hang/stutter or slow down in anything mild. I have browsed extensively using the stock browser, played a couple of casual games, recieved/sent emails, opened pdfs/ppts/doc/xls etc using kingsoft - basically used it non-gaming, work purposes - processor has handled it well. Will start throwing more intensive things at it over the weekend and will report back. Have not tested the GPU extensively - another thing I will do this weekend

droidiser said:
Try alternative camera apps from the play store. Search for "camera"to get few relevant apps.
Try this compass application:
If it works fine, your device has a magnetic sensor. Android phones most probably have a magnetic sensor.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have used multiple camera apps - all end up looking similar - there seems to be some weird OS/firmware level bug that creates horrible pictures. On the veiwfinder screen, things looks balanced - when clicked and opened, everything is over saturated. Definitely needs a software update/camera firmware update to correct this
My mi-500 does not have a magnetic sensor (or it has been deactivated at the OS level). No software recognises/identifies any sort of magnetic sensor and no compass or map app shows this either. Have used multiple android system informers/elixer/compass type apps - all report that there is no magnetic sensor.
---------- Post added at 04:55 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:50 PM ----------
vind_r said:
Have used multiple camera apps - all end up looking similar - there seems to be some weird OS/firmware level bug that creates horrible pictures. On the veiwfinder screen, things looks balanced - when clicked and opened, everything is over saturated. Definitely needs a software update/camera firmware update to correct this
My mi-500 does not have a magnetic sensor (or it has been deactivated at the OS level). No software recognises/identifies any sort of magnetic sensor and no compass or map app shows this either. Have used multiple android system informers/elixer/compass type apps - all report that there is no magnetic sensor.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does anyone else with a Mi-500 also have the same camera problems? And does any other Mi-500 have a compass/magnetic sensor in it?? Could I have received a dud Mi-500 with these two problems?

rjunraj said:
Can u plz post antutu,quadrant,nenamrk,nenamark 2 scores?
Is it scratch resistent?
which you is present in this phone?
does it gets heated?
is it really 200 grams ?
how is the battery life on heavy usage?
can it play nova and gta or any HD game like those?
how are all the sensors?
how is web browsing?
does second Sim gets disabled while first has data connection on?
does the screen gets fingerprints?
is the body made of cheap plastic our and solid material?
how does it feels in hand? is it easy to carry and has a comfortable grip?
can it be really used with single hand i mean can your fingers reach every party of the screen?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) Antutu benchmark posted - please above
2) Have not tested the screen for scratch resistance. Will not test it deliberately - but, it will be evident in a month or two if it is.. Will reprt back
3) It does not get heated under normal and 3g use. Top of screen gets heated when charging - makes it very difficult to hold to ear for ~2-3 mins after charging - cools down soon though
4) Battery life not yet fully tested - but has lasted whole day with 3G on and intermittent use
5) Have not played any HD game on it yet
6) No magnetic sensor/compass - do not know if this is a bug in my phone or if it is omitted altogether or it it needs to be activated at firmware/OS level through a software update. But - at the moment, no compass - no gyroscope. All other sensors present - proximity, accelerometer, etc
7)We browsing is super smooth using stock browser - dual core processor really helps (+ ICS browser is quite good)
8) If 3G is on on the master SIM, then data can be used on the 1st sim and 2nd sim is active also (for calls only)
9) Spice have sent it with a screenguard on - leaving it on for 1-2 weeks. So, havent checked if screen is oleophobic or regular
10) It is indeed 200g. It has a second flip cover based back cover also included in the package - if you remove the stock back cover and put this flip cover, then the weight goes up by 10-15%
11) Feels comfortable to hold. Of course with a 5 inch screen, no way can you do everything one handed - you need two hands or to keep it on a table for some activities
12) Material is white with a silver trim on the side - all plastic. Feels decent

vind_r said:
1) Antutu benchmark posted - please above
2) Have not tested the screen for scratch resistance. Will not test it deliberately - but, it will be evident in a month or two if it is.. Will reprt back
3) It does not get heated under normal and 3g use. Top of screen gets heated when charging - makes it very difficult to hold to ear for ~2-3 mins after charging - cools down soon though
4) Battery life not yet fully tested - but has lasted whole day with 3G on and intermittent use
5) Have not played any HD game on it yet
6) No magnetic sensor/compass - do not know if this is a bug in my phone or if it is omitted altogether or it it needs to be activated at firmware/OS level through a software update. But - at the moment, no compass - no gyroscope. All other sensors present - proximity, accelerometer, etc
7)We browsing is super smooth using stock browser - dual core processor really helps (+ ICS browser is quite good)
8) If 3G is on on the master SIM, then data can be used on the 1st sim and 2nd sim is active also (for calls only)
9) Spice have sent it with a screenguard on - leaving it on for 1-2 weeks. So, havent checked if screen is oleophobic or regular
10) It is indeed 200g. It has a second flip cover based back cover also included in the package - if you remove the stock back cover and put this flip cover, then the weight goes up by 10-15%
11) Feels comfortable to hold. Of course with a 5 inch screen, no way can you do everything one handed - you need two hands or to keep it on a table for some activities
12) Material is white with a silver trim on the side - all plastic. Feels decent
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How is the touch responce and scrolling?
Can u upload a video review on youtube?
I m still not sure about hd video and gaming fun and also about battery life.
---------- Post added at 11:03 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:00 PM ----------
How many touch points does it have?
Spice mi 425 had 5 touch points so i guess this one would also have

rjunraj said:
How is the touch responce and scrolling?
Can u upload a video review on youtube?
I m still not sure about hd video and gaming fun and also about battery life.
---------- Post added at 11:03 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:00 PM ----------
How many touch points does it have?
Spice mi 425 had 5 touch points so i guess this one would also have
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The screen is 800x480 - but its still sharp at normal distances (its not a retina display by any stretch, but at normal viewing distances it does not matter). It has only 2 touch points - but have no complaints as it is very sensitive and the sensitivity can be dialled up or down at the OS level.
Battery life is quite good - no fully tested, but in normal usage with 3g always on and wifi off and auto brightness, even after 8 hours of moderate usage, 50% battery life is left (single SIM only - am sure if both SIMs are present and active, this will decrease the battery life)

Spice Mi-500 is manufactured by Chinese OEM Konka - sold in China as Konka W990
Found this when I was exploring the menu options. Please find below additional details and specifications of this phone. (have also attached two photos of the W990 - obviously, other than the branding, it looks exactly same as mi-500).
Hope this information helps those of us creating custom ROMs etc.
BTW - this forum is not allowing me to post links
###################################################
Konka W990 3G WCDMA Android4.0 MT6577 Dual Core 1.0GHz Dual Sim 4.0"WVGA 5.0MP
Description:
Konka W990, 3G WCDMA, Android4.0, MT6577 Dual Core 1.0GHz, Dual Sim, 4.0"WVGA, 5.0MP, Gravity Sensor, Proximity Sensor, Light Sensor, Smartphone, Wifi, GPS, FM radio, Multi-touch, Schedule Power on/off
Brand / Model
Konka W990
CPU
CPU: MTK6577 ARMv7 Cortex-A9 Dual-core 1.0GHz
GPU: PowerVR SGX531 Ultra
OS
Android V4.0
Default English.
Memory
RAM : 512MB / ROM : 4GB eMMC
MAX supports 32GB Class 12 Micro SD Memory Card (TF-Card)
Size
143 x 77.4 x 10.5mm
Weight
205g with battery
Screen
5.0" WVGA, 480 x 800, 16M Colors (TBD),TFT-LCD
Capacitive Multi Touch Screen
Network
Dual Sim, supports W+G / G+G
2G：GSM/GPRS/EDGE: 900/1800/1900 MHz
3G：WCDMA/HSPA/HSPA+: 2100MHz
Color
White
GPS
Built In GPS & A.GPS
Connection
Bluetooth with EDR & A2DP
Wi-Fi : IEEE 802.11 b/g/n, supports Wi-Fi hotspot
micro USB 2.0
Camera
Dual Camera
Back 5.0 mega pixel / Auto Focus / Flash LED
Front 0.3 mega pixel, supports Skype Video Calls
Support to shoot 3GP 720P (1280x720) with sound, Max 30 mins.
Sensor
Gravity Sensor, Proximity Sensor, Light Sensor
Radio
FM
Video
AVI, MP4, FLV, 3GP, MOV, ASF, MPEG, RMVB, H.263, H.264, etc.
Audio
MP3, AAC, WAV, etc. / 3.5 mm Audio Jack, Beats Audio
Special function
G-sensor, P-Sensor, L-Sensor, FM radio, Wifi, GPS, Multi-touch, Dual SIM, Schedule Power on/off
Package Includes
- Li-ion Batteries 2350mAh x 1
- Earphone / 3.5 mm Audio Jack
- USB Cable
- Charger

vind_r said:
Found this when I was exploring the menu options. Please find below additional details and specifications of this phone. (have also attached two photos of the W990 - obviously, other than the branding, it looks exactly same as mi-500).
Hope this information helps those of us creating custom ROMs etc.
BTW - this forum is not allowing me to post links
###################################################
Konka W990 3G WCDMA Android4.0 MT6577 Dual Core 1.0GHz Dual Sim 4.0"WVGA 5.0MP
Description:
Konka W990, 3G WCDMA, Android4.0, MT6577 Dual Core 1.0GHz, Dual Sim, 4.0"WVGA, 5.0MP, Gravity Sensor, Proximity Sensor, Light Sensor, Smartphone, Wifi, GPS, FM radio, Multi-touch, Schedule Power on/off
Brand / Model
Konka W990
CPU
CPU: MTK6577 ARMv7 Cortex-A9 Dual-core 1.0GHz
GPU: PowerVR SGX531 Ultra
OS
Android V4.0
Default English.
Memory
RAM : 512MB / ROM : 4GB eMMC
MAX supports 32GB Class 12 Micro SD Memory Card (TF-Card)
Size
143 x 77.4 x 10.5mm
Weight
205g with battery
Screen
5.0" WVGA, 480 x 800, 16M Colors (TBD),TFT-LCD
Capacitive Multi Touch Screen
Network
Dual Sim, supports W+G / G+G
2G：GSM/GPRS/EDGE: 900/1800/1900 MHz
3G：WCDMA/HSPA/HSPA+: 2100MHz
Color
White
GPS
Built In GPS & A.GPS
Connection
Bluetooth with EDR & A2DP
Wi-Fi : IEEE 802.11 b/g/n, supports Wi-Fi hotspot
micro USB 2.0
Camera
Dual Camera
Back 5.0 mega pixel / Auto Focus / Flash LED
Front 0.3 mega pixel, supports Skype Video Calls
Support to shoot 3GP 720P (1280x720) with sound, Max 30 mins.
Sensor
Gravity Sensor, Proximity Sensor, Light Sensor
Radio
FM
Video
AVI, MP4, FLV, 3GP, MOV, ASF, MPEG, RMVB, H.263, H.264, etc.
Audio
MP3, AAC, WAV, etc. / 3.5 mm Audio Jack, Beats Audio
Special function
G-sensor, P-Sensor, L-Sensor, FM radio, Wifi, GPS, Multi-touch, Dual SIM, Schedule Power on/off
Package Includes
- Li-ion Batteries 2350mAh x 1
- Earphone / 3.5 mm Audio Jack
- USB Cable
- Charger
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
More information taken from the Chinese site on Konka w990 - of course, Spice have deactivated some of the Chinese specific functions like cloud storage, chinese voice recognition, chinese character input using stylus etc
Please note that the text below is taken from the Chinese website and so is obviously in highly tortured english!!!!
An atmospheric appearance, craftsmanship, taste of the election
● Konka dual-core using the large international companies, auto-sensing holster, opening the lid bright screen, closing lid put out the screen, user-friendly operation with thoughtful design, all-round for you to consider.
● innovation process stainless steel mold injection, the border is more narrow, thinner body, higher strength and feel better. The three-dimensional laser engraving process battery cover, delicate texture, comfortable non-slip.
● unique ultra-fine capacitive stylus, the industry-leading, then the complexity of Chinese characters can be accurately written, designed specifically for the Chinese people are used to.
Cortex-A9 architecture 1GHz dual-core CPU , a leading architecture, dual-core configuration, powerful performance
● Konka dual-core 40nm ultimate craft new Cortex-A9 architecture CPU 1Ghz dual-core ultra-high configuration with DDR2 high frequency memory the eMMC memory technology, performance almost equal to the top level bring more speed operation experience, the menu switch fast and smooth multitasking operating hand in hand.
● Built-in independent graphics processor GPU responsible for 2D/3D graphics calculations accelerated par with high-end performance, smooth running Need for Speed ​​Urban GT 3D fighting game, more brilliant screen.
3. support the Android4.0 operating systems, smart to experience a new upgrade
● Konka dual-core support Android4.0 intelligent operating system faster, more fluid menu to switch, and more powerful.
● innovative face recognition unlock function, quick screen shot, panorama, font adjustment, image editing, and new features, bringing a new exceptional operating experience.
4. 5.0 -inch WVGA high-definition capacitive touch screen, open full HD Horizons
● Konka dual-core with a 5.0 inch wide viewing angle, resolution up to 800 × 480 , colorful, bright and clear.
● High sensitivity capacitive touch screen, supports multi-touch, free to stretch the picture, web pages, quickly and accurately reflect the humane new experience.
5. 500 megapixel AF autofocus camera, support LED flash, easily record a wonderful life
● Konka dual-core built-in 500 million pixel high-definition camera, super photosensitive ability to support AF autofocus with LED flash, ready to record the wonderful life lens effects comparable professional digital cameras, and more support for bar code scanning, business card recognition application.
● Independent front camera, video telephony, network video chat, self-timer ... casual.
● more support 720P HD video playback, playback, and easy to record high-definition video, ready to watch, delicate and smooth screen.
. cloud computing, cloud storage, cloud application Trinity, experience Intelligent era leading technology.
● Konka dual-core super cloud computing technology and support original handwriting function, can any handwritten the hybrid input text, letters, numbers, symbols, Bifeng free to choose the color, presented exclusively for your pen wind Wencai via MMS form of microblogging, e-mail, send a share.
● support the intelligent cloud applications - KOVO - Konka intelligent cloud voice system, the leading Chinese language understanding and recognition engine to achieve a number of functions, artificial intelligence and language exchanges and communication between the user and the phone.
● support for secure cloud storage, the configuration Mycloud private cloud server, fragmentation segmentation, multiple encryption and multiple backup cloud technology, free oversized exclusive space, so you can be anywhere, anytime remote access cloud backup photos, contacts, files, etc. .
7 , WIFI , GPS , Bluetooth, everything, QQ , microblogging, living navigation, HIFI music ...... rich smart applications, unlimited wonderful all in one.
---------- Post added at 11:22 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:16 AM ----------
vind_r said:
Have used multiple camera apps - all end up looking similar - there seems to be some weird OS/firmware level bug that creates horrible pictures. On the veiwfinder screen, things looks balanced - when clicked and opened, everything is over saturated. Definitely needs a software update/camera firmware update to correct this
My mi-500 does not have a magnetic sensor (or it has been deactivated at the OS level). No software recognises/identifies any sort of magnetic sensor and no compass or map app shows this either. Have used multiple android system informers/elixer/compass type apps - all report that there is no magnetic sensor.
---------- Post added at 04:55 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:50 PM ----------
Does anyone else with a Mi-500 also have the same camera problems? And does any other Mi-500 have a compass/magnetic sensor in it?? Could I have received a dud Mi-500 with these two problems?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Confirmed that the Mi-500 does NOT have any magnetic sensor or compass (the original chinese version also excludes compass/magnetic sensor in its descriptions. So, its not just my phone - all Mi-500s lack a compass.
Tried using Google Navigate without compass - works quite well and maps out orientation well - only problem is when you are stationary - then, it does not show which direction one has to start out. But, after 5 mins of usage, did not have too many problems.

Installing and Rooting CWM
Hi Folks
I am using ZOPO ZP900 Leader phone and since the Spice Stellar uses the same processor MTK 6577, I am sure most of you will be seeking ways and means to Install CWM and root the phone.
MTK requires a Flash Tool to load ROMs. I have made a detailed guide for Installing CWM on ZOPO which can be accessed here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1899412
For video guide you can see here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rfemoi6Aizw. The method is same when using Flash tool !
Note ZOPO device comes rooted but without CWM and hence my requirement was slightly different.
You can use this method to flash CWM and use the options including making a nandroid backup, but I am not sure if flashing any of the available Su signed.zip files in this forums will effectively root this device (this was method to root the earlier Spice MI 410).
I am not a dev and maybe a dev/experienced member can comment on this.
Nevertheless this is a beginning ! If anyone make headway please do share and report for others benefit.
Also note there are many MTK 6577 devices and some have already released MODs based on Stock Rom. PLEASE DO NOT FLASH THEM since rest of the device hardware is very different !
Cheers !

vijayar said:
Hi Folks
I am using ZOPO ZP900 Leader phone and since the Spice Stellar uses the same processor MTK 6577, I am sure most of you will be seeking ways and means to Install CWM and root the phone.
MTK requires a Flash Tool to load ROMs. I have made a detailed guide for Installing CWM on ZOPO which can be accessed here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1899412
For video guide you can see here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rfemoi6Aizw. The method is same when using Flash tool !
Note ZOPO device comes rooted but without CWM and hence my requirement was slightly different.
You can use this method to flash CWM and use the options including making a nandroid backup, but I am not sure if flashing any of the available Su signed.zip files in this forums will effectively root this device (this was method to root the earlier Spice MI 410).
I am not a dev and maybe a dev/experienced member can comment on this.
Nevertheless this is a beginning ! If anyone make headway please do share and report for others benefit.
Also note there are many MTK 6577 devices and some have already released MODs based on Stock Rom. PLEASE DO NOT FLASH THEM since rest of the device hardware is very different !
Cheers !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For porting cwm use yuweng's guide present here at our xda....just search it. ...
My experience as a mtk user is that, I should better go back to samsung for any of their exynos or snapdragon...!

You can get the recovery.img of your stock recovery, then you can mod it so cwm can work with your android model.
If you don't already have the recovery.img file,to get it, first install terminal emulator on your phone(Your phone must be rooted for this!), then launch and type in:
$ su
# cat /proc/mtd
This should give you an output like:
dev: size erasesize name
mtd0: 00040000 00020000 "misc"
mtd1: 00500000 00020000 "recovery"
mtd2: 00280000 00020000 "boot"
mtd3: 04380000 00020000 "system"
mtd4: 04380000 00020000 "cache"
mtd5: 04ac0000 00020000 "userdata"
Now, check for the "recovery partition" , that is which "mtd" it's on. Here it's on mtd1, it might be different for your phone. With that info type in the terminal emulator(You should have your sdcard inserted before proceeding):
# cat /dev/mtd/mtd1(OR whichever mtd YOUR "recovery" is on) > /sdcard/recovery.img
Now upload that recovery.img file at http://builder.clockworkmod.com and see if the cwm works out for the Mi 500.

hi i brought two mi 500 ,, 2 days prior i had brought karbon a18 for my fried
battery backup is good but not good as mi 350 , screen is better in a18 but battery sucks of karbon only 1500 ma
gps and wifi sucks battery like hell
if i play 1080dpi battery drains like hell 2-3 points per min
camera is ok not bad , face unlock which i love most....

MI-500 and Exchange/ActiveSynch
Hi All,
Yesterday I purchased Spice MI-500. Its one good looking phone and I am loving it already. But there is a disappointment. I am not sure where the problem exists. Your inputs would be valuable.
I am trying to connect the phone to my office MS Exchange 2010 / ActiveSynch server using Email stock app. With all the credentials / settings correct, it errors out saying "Can't connect to server"
Talking to my admin, he reported this error on the server: 2012-10-12 06:52:07 10.51.1.90 POST /Microsoft-Server-ActiveSync/default.eas Cmd=FolderSync&User=somename%5Cusername&DeviceId=S piceMi-500&DeviceType=Android&Log=V141_LdapC1_RpcC13_RpcL 31_Cpo19968_Fet20013_S108_Error:deviceIdNonAlphanu meric_Mbxcmail02.officedomain.com_Throttle0_Budget D <truncated>
Note: Error:deviceIdNonAlphanumeric
The device id is : Spice MI-500.
Is "-" the problem? How do I work around this? Its defeating my purpose to buy this phone as a business / smart phone.

[REVIEW] Phablet/Console Much i5 (5" Quad-Core)

[REVIEW] Phablet/Console Much i5 (5" Quad-Core)
​
Note
Due to the limitations of this forum, i cannot put the full version of the review. THIS IS NOT THE FULL REVIEW ARTICLE
For the complete version of this review visit my blog .
Package contents(Unboxing y full description of the package contents)
​
When the package is opened, we found the following elements that, i understand, are part of any standard shipment for this product.
Much i5 Device
Quick guide
Guarantee sheet
MicroUSB cable
USB Wall charger
3550 mAh Battery
Serial number sticker
About first impression
My first impression of the device was so good. I really feel that the device materials and quality is distinct that other devices i tested.
There is lots of details that make a difference, from the device design, or the software included, or the customization made on the system, etc.
The first time you boot the device, you get a screen to register an iMuch account. This is not required really, but you can do these steps to gain access for Much services (note: most in chinese). In my tests, i remove my Much account, and i can use the device without problems.
​
(First boot)
There is a icon called Much Helper, that really is a quick guide to use the device, that is so interesting and helpful (this come in english), and show you in short steps the main features of the device and how to use.
​
Is really nice get a device like this that manufacturer take care about heir users, and provide ways to get familiar and comfortable with the device like this (and in english, a common language).
Another thing that i get may attention is that this device come with no much bloatware, and the games listed are to download from the google playstore (instead of a separated store with software from a non clear origin)
​
Most of this games are free, or demo versions.(and i thanks for it, because the system come with no unecessary software pre-installed)
Product information
​
According with the manufacturer, or searching info on web pages, we can found many sources of information about the device and sometimes these information may be not consistent (may be different from one web page to other), and this may cause some confusion for anybody that wants to get info about this product.
On this section i will post the info i get from the manufacturer (or is not possible, the web page that i consider more reliable), listing only the relevant points for a tech analysis of the product, and omit these points that don´t get any relevant info about the device (as many time we found on many pages, things such video capabilities, mail capabilities, etc, that really are software based features that we can install on the device, and not a real feature of the device itself)
CPU(RAM): MTK6589 quad-core 1.2GHz Cortex A7
GPU: PowerVR Series 544
RAM: 1G RAM LPDDR2
Internal: 4GB ROM
Screen size: 5"
Screen resolution: 1280x720
Screen Type: IPS Panel, Multitouch 5 points
Operating System: Android4.2 (Much Launcher)
Storage: MicroSD(TF) support 64GB storage expand maximum
Sensor: Nine-axis sensing (gyroscope, electronic compass, and gravity sensing), and light-sensitive sensing, close up sensing
Camera: Main camera of 8 MPx, digital zoom, auto focus, microspur support, Flash LED. Front camera of 0.3 MPx;
Network Function: support WCDMA 850M/2100M GSM 850/900/1800/1900MHZ, HSUPA(high speed uplink):up to 11.5 Mbps,HSDPA+( high speed downlink):up to 42.2 Mbps
Wifi: 802.11b/g/n
bluetooth: V4.0LE +EDR
GPS: with AGPS support
Buttons: 4 action buttons, 2 Shoulder buttons, 2 special buttons (configurable), DPAD and 2 analog sticks.
Video Play: Hardware decoding, maximum resolution up to 1280x720P, H.264, MPEG4, MPEG2, VC-1, H.263
Audio System: D-class amplifier , AAC speaker (2x0.5w)
Power Supply: 3550mAh Lithium battery
Charge: dual interface charge, (Bottom) Micro USB charge interface 1A charge, (Top) Micro USB charge interface 500mA charge maximum.
TV-Out: Mini HDMI interface (support 1080P)
USB: MicroUSB OTG 2.0
Dual standard SIM card(WCDMA/GSM) + MicroSD(TF) card
size: 184.0x88.0x14.7mm
Antutu X Benchmark
​
Summary:
RAM Operation: 1089
RAM Speed: 502
CPU integer: 1819
CPU float-point: 1242
2D graphics: [720x1280] 646
3D graphics: [720x1280] 3294
Storage I/O: 832
Database I/O: 515
CPU frequency: 1209 MHz (x4)
Multitask: 2661
Dalvik: 780
Total: 13380
ClockWorkMod Recovery (Custom Recovery)
​
Android have a special mode called Recovery, that is used many times to recover the device if this have problems to run properly, but there exist an alternative Custom Recovery that add a lot of new functionality and tools, and one of the most popular is one called ClockWorkMod Recovery.
There is a full functional version of this recovery that run on this device.
One of the most important features of this custom recovery, is the NANDROID generation, a way to generate a full backup of the nand (where the operating system resides) to a directory, and can be used as a recovery point for the device in case of semi-brick, or simply if you want to get a clean firmware on it.
Take note that this backup (nandroid) is a image of the NAND, this means, there will be stored all your configs, users, passwords, accounts, etc. Is a good idea to get a clean firmware insatlled on the device, and install and configure all your base programs (file admins, cloud services, google account, etc) and then get a nandroid for your personal use. When you get back to this image/backup, you will get a clean and configured system, saving lot of time on basic configurations and installing basic software.
The installation of CWM on this device is easy. For this, i follow the next thread on XDA forum:
How to install CWM on most rooted mtk devices
This method is based on Rua1 tool (a russian guy that develop a specific MTK took), and i will try to explay step by step.
First, you need the drivers ADB installed on the system. If you don´t get yet, then download and install PDANet (for windows, there is the 4.12 installer).
Then install PDANet, and when the program ask for connecting the device (USB), connect your Much.
Program will install drivers (if ask to you, select "other manufacturer" for generic drivers)
When you get installed this program, then go and download "MTK Droid Root & Tools | MediaTek Android Smartphone" ver 2.4.8 (from this thread on XDA)
Run the program. If the antivirus or firewall warning about a unknown thread, ignore it.
The program will run adb and connect with your device. No matter if you set root for ADB and Apps in System Settings, the program will inform that the device is not fully rooted. (there is a yellow rectangle)
Press ROOT button.
When finished, the rectangle will be green
​
(I will do a copy paste from XDA thread, because is well explained what you must to do)
Click on the tab 'root,backup,recovery' and select 'to use boot from phone' then click on 'recovery and boot' and shortly after a dialogue box will appear asking if you want to 'make cwm recovery automatically' click yes
​
System start to generate the CWM version.
​
Is possible that the tool show a dialog with a warning "ATENTION! There is a probability to damage the boot block!". Select "Yes"
Android Games
​
Asphalt 8: Airborne
​
(Using Tincore to control the game)
Jet Set Radio
​
Bard´s Tale
​
Dead Trigger
​
N.o.v.a. 3
Using HDMI TV Out, External controller (PXN8633 Wireless controller with USB receiver) and Tincore to map the controller to screen.
​
Modern Combat 4: Zero Hour
Using HDMI TV Out, External controller (PXN8633), and Tincore for mapping.
​
Ravensword
​
Grand Theft Auto Vice CityUsing External Controller and Tincore for mapping.
​
DraStic (Nintendo DS)
​
Zelda Phantom Hourglass
​
PPSSPP (Playstation Portable PSP)
​
Lego Indiana Jones 2
​
Mame4Droid Reloaded (Arcades)
​
Garou: Mark of Wolves
​
Marvel vs Capcom
​
Retroarch
​
Arcade (MAME) - Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3
​
PSX - Tekken 3
​
N64Oid (Nintendo 64)
​
Bad Fur Day
​
(Gameplay)
About Battery
Some words i must to say about this point. This device is the first handheld gaming console that i forgive to take care constantly about battery level. In fact, using as a normal smartphone and as a gaming console, is a heavy use for me, more than my normal smartphone (i like to use a Motorola Razr), and my phone, only as phone, battery is not longer than Much device.
I don´t know how many hours it can be working, but i´m sure is enough for most of users that want a good duration.
Check the following screenshots:
​
These 3 screenshots was taken when i get in home, in night (well, really when i remember to take these screenshots)
The most important of these screenshots, are that the device was working as normal usage, with WIFI enabled, one SIM card enabled, and most time (when i´m in train or bus) with Bluetooth enabled (for bluetooth audio), with all normal options for a smartphone standard enabled (GPS, Vibration, etc), and most important, playing normally, and the battery, well, you can see the images. For this reason i can mention that i forgot to check constantly the battery level, to calculating how many time i can play, or anything.
And of course, the battery is replaceable, then if you really need more battery duration, simply buy another battery pack, and carry with you to replace when you go out of power.
Final words
​
Apologize for the mistakes i did writing in english. As many of you know, this is not my natural language, but i did my best to try to bring to you a readable and understandable article that, sincerely, i hope is useful.
And remember this is not a full article review. It is only a Summary.
Zalu2!
Deen0X

re-install MUCH I5
Hello,
I have one Much I5. This device was bricked somehow and I need to re-install it. I made all the instruction on your blog but after pressing Vol- android screen suddenly disappear and I can only see ireadygo screen and I could not do anything else. Could you help me to re-install this device may be from pc ?
Thank you & best regards,

[Q] Turcom T9703H (android 4.2.2, 16g nand, 2g ram) : root /without/ windows?

Turcom, the people who make high polish, low budget graphics tablets [no tilt] alternatives to low end Wacom graphics tablets [formerly bamboo; intuous pen & touch] apparently also make low budget, high polish Android tablets.
smile.amazon.com/Turcom-9-7-inch-Android-Retina-Processor/dp/B00LPUA0QS
Amazon ASIN B00LPUA0QS
(not linked to avoid referral code infliction)
fw 3.3_20140514
kernel 3.30
[email protected] # 10
build: A31_T970_T9703H.20140610
alleged: 9.7" ; actual 9.4" diag
quadcore A31
mail450
android 4.2.2 (not 4.4.2)
wifi bg n(150)
NO bluetooth
16 gig nand, partitioned not as well as Matricom Iota
2 gig ram
PHY buttons: power, back
IPS 2068 x 1536, no visible [dead|hot|stuck]pixels
Aluminum back casing (runs very warm)
inch border margin face
microSDHC limit: 32gig
hdmi, & wireless display
bootlogo a31 + chinese
english apps
gapps [/me disabled]
typically poor camera front/rear (phones|tablets are not cameras)
poor speaker
audio jack TRS (better than lossy BlueTooth unless already lossy format "quality")
Uncludes Male USB to micro USB ,Female USB to micro USB,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
MAC OUI: 00:7e:05
(I cannot find a match)
The device itself deems its model number: T9703H whereas the product page deems it TS-560. It seems most likely I have been shipped the wrong tablet. In any case site search will not return matches for "turcom", or "T9703" or "T9703H".
As I do not have a windows license how can this tablet be root'd ?
[OSX 10.9.4+, Ubuntu 14 LTS]
windows

I have the same one. My modeltype is VTAA31-97 from Vietech Electronics distributed by Arsatech Germany. In Info i find:
fw 3.3_20140514
kernel 3.30
[email protected] # 10
build: A31_T970_T9703H.20140610
I have issues with the touch! Tablet started and home screen comes. Than i go to settings or internet and without touching the screen the tablet touch self apps or write r.u, in rhe browser search. Them a app starts or camera and so on - without touching the screen.
I need help what to do. I hope its only a software problem which can be fixed maybe with a new rom cwm or stock ... can someone help me out maybe with link to root, cwm, gaaps ... thanks a lot